Effect of reflection type on detonation initiation at shock-wave focusing

Abstract. From practical and theoretical standpoints, the initiation of combustion in gaseous media due to the shock waves focusing process at various reflectors is a subject of much current interest. The complex gas flowfield coupled with chemical kinetics provides a wide spectrum of possible regimes of combustion, such as fast flames, deflagration, detonation etc. Shock wave reflection at concave surfaces or wedges causes converging of the flow and produces local zones with extremely high pressures and temperatures. The present work deals with the initiation of detonation due to shock waves focusing at parabolic and wedge reflectors. Particular attention has been given to the determination of the critical values of the incident shock wave (ISW) Mach number, parameters of the combustible mixture, and geometrical sizes of reflector at which different combustion regimes could be generated.